Pay 2026 LEED, patent, trademark, and drug user fees

Regulatory bodies including the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have released details regarding their respective fee structures for 2026. These fees cover a range of services from environmental certifications to intellectual property registrations and pharmaceutical product approvals, impacting individuals and organizations seeking these services.

The outlined fees are designed to cover the overhead, wages, costs, and markup associated with providing these rights or services. They can be either flat or variable, with specific conditions and payment schedules applicable to each type of service.

LEED Certification and Registration Fees for 2026

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has clarified its fee structure for LEED registration and certification in 2026. These fees are applicable to all versions of the LEED rating system unless explicitly stated otherwise. The LEED registration fee is a flat amount, payable upfront at the time of registration. Certification rates are determined by the fee schedule published when a project is registered, and the final certification fee is based on the project’s specific rating system and size.

LEED fees encompass preliminary and final reviews for both standard and split review paths. Also, newly registered projects gain access to the Arc platform and a dedicated LEED Coach. USGBC members are eligible for discounted LEED pricing. For projects located in Canada, specific pricing information is available on cagbc.org. A notable modify as of March 27, 2026, is the consolidation of LEED supplemental review (appeal) fees into a single flat fee for all credits.

Patent Application Fees and Reductions

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has detailed its patent fee requirements for 2026. Each patent application necessitates an appropriate search fee and examination fee, along with the standard filing fees. Applicants may be eligible for reduced patent fees upon establishing small entity status or micro entity status.

A non-electronic filing fee of $400 for large entities and $200 for small entities applies to original nonprovisional utility applications submitted in paper to the USPTO. This non-electronic filing fee can be avoided by submitting nonprovisional utility applications through the Patent Center. this specific non-electronic filing fee does not apply to reissue, design, plant, or provisional applications.

International Trademark and Prescription Drug User Fees

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has confirmed that international application fees for the Madrid System cover a 10-year period. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has outlined its Prescription Drug User Fee Amendments (PDUFA) application fees for 2026. These application fees are due when the application is submitted to the FDA. The FDA issues invoices for annual PDUFA program fees in August of each year.

PDUFA payments are due on the first business day on or after October 1 of each fiscal year, or after the enactment of an appropriations Act, whichever occurs later. The Federal government’s fiscal year commences on October 1 and concludes on September 30. Form FDA 3397, the PDUFA user fee cover sheet, is used to determine the specific fee requirements and amounts for applications. All PDUFA fee payments must be made in U.S. currency, drawn on a U.S. financial institution. Wire transfer payments for PDUFA fees should include the user fee payment identification number (PIN) and the BLA/NDA number for proper identification.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines on cross-border payment transactions specify that the maximum amount of Rs 25,00,000 per transaction/per item can be processed on the SB Collect platform.

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

View all posts →